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Planning on growing some of the food we cook this year. We are thinking of doing at least one raised bed and some random pots. I know we want to attempt tomatoes, peppers and some herbs. Anyone have some suggestions for us brown thumbs?

I've heard of a few brethren planting briskets in their yards, but I never heard if any of them grew.

I plant mainly herbs.

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Well in England I grow a lot of veg and fruit, and most of it ends on the Q. I grow a lot of corn that I grill with the leaves on. You can grow more than others because of your climate. Best thing to grow is what you like to eat the most. Your be amazed what you can grow in a small space and the flavour will blow your socks off!!

Raised beds worked great for me. I had 8 of them and grew about 25 tomato plants and about 60-80 pepper plants. I made them out of 2x10's so they would hold more soil. I spaced the tomatoes & peppers off the square foot method. So a 4'x4' bed could hold 16 peppers. Larger plants like squash/zucchini need more space and they are easy to grow too. Mine were all along a fence so the backs of the beds were tomatoes and in front were peppers. I also had a timed drip irrigation system to water it all since during the summer in GA it is hot as hell and needed to water almost daily.

So I say setup a few raised beds as you get the most plants in smaller area. Grow what you will eat. For peppers I pretty much grew bell peppers, banana, jalapeno, and cherry. For tomatoes I only grew 2-3 varieties as I found many tasted alike. Cherokee purple were my favorite. Peppers grow like crazy and can take the heat. Tomatoes you have to be a little more careful about getting them water.

For herbs, they grow well in pots or in raised beds too. Just make sure if you grow mint to put that in a pot by itself. That stuff is like a weed and will choke out anything it is planted next to. I pretty much just grew mint, basil and rosemary.

I miss growing stuff as I did for 4 years, but moved and might try and start up another garden soon.

Oh and good soil. Good soil is key. For me it was almost as easy as get good soil, put plants in the dirt and water. Almost that easy .

I now grow mainly herbs and peppers. I've grown tomatoes, and had a peach tree at the old house.

In Texas, the main problem I had growing tomatoes was birds pecking holes in them. I had to keep netting over my plants. Same with my peach tree. But, I had a big yard back then, so no big deal.

I use raised gardens for my pepper plants. I water every day in the hot summer months, and the soil drains well. I use Scott's garden soil. It stays moist, but not wet.

Other than my basil, my herbs are almost maintenance free. Peppers are pretty easy, too.

You mentioned "hot." If your days get over 95, and your nights stay over 80, you may have problems getting tomatoes and peppers to set fruit during that time of summer. The plants will grow well, and flower, but the flowers will not turn into fruit.

One neat trick I employ is getting those foam pots that look like decorative clay posts, and cut the bottoms off, and partially bury them in the ground. I cut them at an angle, so they "tilt" in odd directions. It gives me a few "mini gardens" to plant herbs and decorative plants in. I have them randomly placed in the part of my yard "paved" with decomposed granite. It works, and I like the look.

Oh, I also want to warn you about mint. As Jason said, it is VERY invasive, so keep it well isolated.

I too am in Sacramento CA, and mainly grow tomatoes and herbs. Last years tomatoes were great, this years, not so much. I have some really bad clay soil in my area, so I have to make sure that I amend the clay with topsoil and compost.

I grow herbs in two half wine barrels. I drilled drainage holes in the bottom, stapled an old t-shirt over the holes to prevent the soil from draining out, then filled with potting soil. I've grown basil, sage, thyme and oregano. The sage and oregano really do well without much tending. The sage usually shoots up like a weed, and I'm constantly lopping off large amounts to give away at work. Basil does well, but needs to be monitored when it gets really hot.

25 TOMATO PLANTS! where you selling to Hunt's? I had 4 and couldnt keep up lol

Yeah it was a little much, but not like anyone here has ever gone overboard with a hobby . Shared with family and friends. Nothing like being able to go into the back yard and grab a bunch of tomatoes/peppers/veggies.

Here are some pics of the setup I used to have.

Here was a day where I went out to grab a few peppers and came in with this .

I too am in Sacramento CA, and mainly grow tomatoes and herbs. Last years tomatoes were great, this years, not so much. I have some really bad clay soil in my area, so I have to make sure that I amend the clay with topsoil and compost.

I grow herbs in two half wine barrels. I drilled drainage holes in the bottom, stapled an old t-shirt over the holes to prevent the soil from draining out, then filled with potting soil. I've grown basil, sage, thyme and oregano. The sage and oregano really do well without much tending. The sage usually shoots up like a weed, and I'm constantly lopping off large amounts to give away at work. Basil does well, but needs to be monitored when it gets really hot.

Same experience here in North Texas. My oregano, sage, rosemary and thyme were easy as pie to maintain. The basil required attention -- at least weekly. The basil needed extra nutrients, and picking off the brown leaves. I also had to watch for insects, and deal with them with organic pesticides, if they got too destructive.

Same experience here in North Texas. My oregano, sage, rosemary and thyme were easy as pie to maintain. The basil required attention -- at least weekly. The basil needed extra nutrients, and picking off the brown leaves. I also had to watch for insects, and deal with them with organic pesticides, if they got too destructive.

I've heard of a few brethren planting briskets in their yards, but I never heard if any of them grew.

I plant mainly herbs.

I grow my brisket, and all my pork!

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